


Freedom Fighters

by Bubblephobia



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-07
Updated: 2014-07-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 19:05:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1754789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblephobia/pseuds/Bubblephobia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A pretty bird in a pretty cage is still a trapped soul looking for escape, and Petra has been planning for escape all of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Escape

Arc One: Flight for Freedom

Chapter One: Escape

A/N: This is a story about Petra that follows closely with the AOT timeline with some things remaining very much the same, and some major differences from the anime. I have tried to keep most people in character, but for the story’s sake some people will have to change. I have decided that since I have so much trouble finishing stories I will do arcs for now on. Right now this chapter will be part of Arc one, and so will the next four chapters. I have the first five chapters already written and am currently working on Arc 2. I will post the first five weekly, and hopefully by then will have the second arc done. If not I will wait to post chapters until Arc two is done, and so forth. I am determined to finish this. I hope you enjoy, please feel free to review.

Disclaimer: This story uses characters and timelines of Attack on Titan for non-profit fun!

“Petra!”

The stern, irritated voice pulled her from her reverie. Petra blinked several times before she realized she’d been asked a question. “Huh?”

Bill Wagner rubbed his face, running his fingers through his dark hair, “At least have the decency to look embarrassed. If you were a normal student I’d have you whipped.”

Petra smiled innocently, “I’m sorry, sensei, please go on.”

Her sensei was already packing to leave, “What would be the point? I can see in your eyes you are not here today. Present body, absent soul, your mind is out fighting titans. I have a family that would like to see me you know.”

Now she did feel guilty, her smile dissipated, “Sorry sensei, tell Thomas I said hello.”

“I will Princess, and I will not tell your father I had to cancel another lesson.”

“Thanks.”

She left a few minutes after he had, walking by herself to her room, aware of the maids and butlers watching her every move. She hated it; hated how they stared, how they judged her every movement, how they waited on her hand and foot. They whispered constantly about nonsense concerning her, she could hear their shrill voices gossiping.

She slammed her bedroom door behind her, falling backwards onto her lounging couch by the window.

Her room was luxurious, and she hated that too. The huge bed piled with pillows and comforters, the fireplace keeping it warm, the fresh flowers placed by the window. It made her weak. While she sat around a fortified castle, dining on rich foods and drinking wine, taking lessons on royal protocol, people were eaten instead of eating, every day they fought to survive the tidal wave of helplessness against those atrocities called titans.

She wanted to do something; she wanted to help, she wanted more than anything to fight.

How long would she have to endure wasted days, rotting in a castle, waiting for her own people to die out?

The door to her room opened, and she knew from the lack of knocking it was her father, his loyal butler in tow. The king was a plump little man with an air of great importance about him. His mustache was long and hung down to his collar bone; his eyes were twitchy and nervous as though he expected a real titan to come tromping through her room at any second. Everything about him was unremarkable, without the gleaming crown upon his balding head a person would never guess he was the king.

Petra found it pretentious to wear her crown around the castle. The servants knew who they were, why would she try to keep that thing on her head all day?

“Yes, father?”

“Petra, I saw your teacher leave early again today. Either you’re learning faster than any royalty before or you’re not paying attention again.” He sounded perturbed. “I told Bill not to come back.”

“What?” She turned from facing the window, “It wasn’t his fault! I told him to leave!”

“Petra if every student told their teacher when to leave nobody would learn anything.”

She sat back on her bed, tears filling her eyes, “But he’s got a family to feed.” Bill had also been with the royal family for seven years as her private teacher, and many years before that as a loyal servant. His son, Thomas, was her childhood friend.

“And I have an heir to teach to be queen.” He looked down on her displeased.

“I don’t want to be queen! I don’t want it! Get someone else to do it!”

“Petra Ral! I do not ever want to hear that sort of talk from you again! You are destined to live inside these castle walls, and you will not abandon that duty!”

He left in a fury, his butler closing the door gently behind him.

Petra felt her resolve harden, she couldn’t be there anymore. She’d been born into the wrong family; she couldn’t be what he wanted her to be when he was so willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone to get what he wanted. All her life she’d been chastised for her compassion, she was too soft-hearted, a queen ruling a dying breed of people could not afford mercy. A queen needed a heart of stone to keep her subjects on their toes, fear was the best weapon, and ruling people required a fist of iron.

She didn’t believe that.

Tonight she would leave and never come back.

She bolted her door to be sure there would be no more unexpected surprises. From under her bed she pulled out her traveling cloak, a pack of clothes and food, some money, and a 3D maneuvering device she’d had her teacher’s son steal for her out of the military police armory. Thomas had demanded to know why she’d wanted the device so badly, so she’d told him it was for just having some fun, a harmless game she could play outside the castle, and he’d bought it. Over the last five years since he’d stolen it for her he’d also replaced any broken parts, gas tanks, and blades.

For not having a teacher she’d become as good as someone without instructions could be. Late at night she would sneak off into the forest near the castle and use the trees to practice, pretending she fought against the titans. There was nothing more liberating than swinging from tree to tree, slashing through leaves and rocks, the moon shining to light her path, the wind drying her sweat and blood, and her long, ginger hair whipping about her.

At first she’d been careful to hide her injuries, she’d fallen so many times that first year, and with no trainer she’d only guessed how to work the instruments. She’d broken fingers and toes, carefully hiding them beneath gloves and stockings. Thomas had been the only one to notice, she could remember how infuriated he’d been…

_“What is that?” Thomas demanded, eyeing her gloved hand._

_Petra pulled Thomas down a deserted hall, away from the prying eyes of maids and servants upon them._

_“Thomas, please, not in front of the servants.” Petra hid her hand behind her back, but Thomas grabbed her arm pulling the silk covering off. He looked angry and distressed when he saw her swollen, black and purple fingers._

_“I thought you said you were careful.”_

_“I am!” She looked down guiltily when she saw the dismayed expression on his handsome face. “I just fell; I’m not very good yet. I’ll get better.”_

_He shook his head in disbelief, “Get better? Is this even about playing some stupid game? You need to stop this now. You’re going to kill yourself, do you want to die?”_

_“Of course not,” She whispered harshly. “But this,” She held up her twisted fingers, swelling so badly now she knew she wouldn’t get the glove back on, “This makes me feel alive, it’s like I can go anywhere and do anything, nothing else makes me feel this way.”_

_His brows creased, and the absolute hurt in his brown eyes broke her heart. “Nothing at all?”_

_“Thomas, I-“_

_“Come runaway with me,” He said suddenly, squeezing her shoulders. “You don’t need the stupid maneuvering device, just me. I’ll take you anywhere, all you need is me.”_

_Petra stood speechless, her mouth agape. A minute passed and she could stand his pleading eyes upon her any longer. “I can’t Thomas, I can’t go with you, I can’t give you what you want.”_

Things between them had never been quite the same after that incident. He’d helped her when he could, but there was a rift between them neither could cross nor dare to try. Now he would be graduating that very night, and last she heard he would be joining the military police. It was a strange mixture of disappointment and relief she felt when he’d told her his choice. Disappointment he lacked the courage to join the Corps, and relief he would be safe living in the interior.

She’d give up everything to join the Survey Corps; her crown, her comfort, even her friendship with Thomas. She’d inherited more than a kingdom, more than a crown could offer. She’d inherited her mother’s dream of living in a world free of the confines the titans put on humanity. A world untainted with the fear the titans brought upon mankind.

When she was sure everyone was asleep, and the candle light had grown dim she went to her mirror with a pair of scissors in hand. Inside she felt nervous, hesitant, but the face that stared back was a girl with steeled resolve, her amber eyes confident in her decision.

Strands of lovely auburn hair fell to the stone floor, slowly piling at her feet. Her new hairline stopped right below her chin, she shook her head enjoying the weightlessness. Looking down she felt a pang of regret thinking of how her mother had loved her long hair, how disappointed she would be to see it lying dead on the floor.

She gathered the hair and went to her window. The moon was full and yellow, and the summer wind blew gently. The coppery strands flew on the updraft, sparkling prettily in the pale light. Her mother would have been so sad, but she would have also been proud had she known the reason behind her actions.

Petra dressed quickly, changing from her silky gown to capris pants, leather boots, a long-sleeved shirt, and her 3D maneuvering device. Her black cloak covered her from head to toe, with the hood shadowing her face. She wasn’t overly worried someone would recognize her, very few people outside the palace walls had ever seen the Princess Petra, Thomas being among those that had.

One last time she counted her money, and slung the pack over her shoulder. Crouched in the window sill she felt a rush of jittery exhilaration. She thought again about leaving a note, and again dismissed the idea. She couldn’t afford to leave any clues as to where she had gone. There were only so many places to hide within the walls.

Her father thought so lowly of her, he would laugh at the idea of her becoming a soldier. It would be the last place he would search.

Petra hopped from her window onto a tree branch nearby, it swayed with her weight but she maintained her balance. Slowly she climbed down as she had done for the past five years nearly every night.

Once on the ground she easily avoided the military police, most were drunk or sleeping on the job. It disgusted her, but as long as no titans entered Wall Sina nothing would be done about their discrepancies.

Once in the stable she saddled her prized horse, Rageous. He was one of the fastest horses in the King’s stable, and by far the largest at nineteen hands tall. His silky black coat and silvery mane and tail had won him the attention of the king’s visitors. Unfortunately he was also intelligent and volatile, and this made him difficult to work with. As a colt his mother had rejected him, and the stable overseer had deemed him too much cost to be worth the work, but Petra had insisted she would take care of him. Every day and night she fed him his mother’s nursing milk until he was old enough to eat solid food. He’d been loyal to Petra for all of his life, and she found she couldn’t leave him behind.

Gently she kicked his side to get him into a slow walk, pulling her hood further down her face. Hopefully no one would see her leaving and report it to a senior officer, her journey ending before it even began.

The gates were open, even at this time of night. The whole regime was so relaxed, so at ease with the world they lived in, it made Petra sick. If titans attacked they would be slaughtered in their sleep, but they never thought this would happen. Did they not see Wall Rose was the new exterior? How long would it be until Wall Sina was the exterior and interior?

She passed through without being stopped, goading her horse into a full run when she reached open fields. Only once did she look back to see the castle sleeping, blissfully unaware its princess was riding away forever.

Petra rode south past several villages before coming to the wall that would lead to the Hermina district. The garrison guards gave her no notice as Rageous trotted through the gate, some were playing cards by lantern light, others were drunk and asleep snoring against the table.

Except for a few inns the city was relatively quiet. The streets were dark, and only the moon, high on her pedestal, lit the way. She rode through an alley seeing an orange light near the exit. She hoped to find shelter for the night, but paused at the window when she heard cheering and tankards clanking, with many voices singing together. Cautiously she dismounted and led Rageous to peek into the cracked window where she saw many drunken young people laughing and singing. They appeared to be celebrating, probably graduates if she had to guess.

Inside she saw Thomas standing in a ring of friends, holding a huge glass of amber liquid. Someone told a joke and the whole group laughed. She smiled to herself, pleased to see Thomas looking happy for once. Petra couldn’t help but notice one dark haired guy, the only one in the group that looked sulky and irritated. His large blue eyes stared hard at the floor, seeming angry and frustrated.

Thomas said something to him, gesturing with his free hand, and the boy looked up, his eyes flashing responding to whatever Thomas had asked. Suddenly Thomas burst out, “You can’t possibly win!”

The whole tavern went quiet, and every face turned to see what the commotion was about, Petra leaned in straining to hear.

It was like the whole joyous atmosphere had been sucked out of the room by her dear friend. He went on to say some other things that had everyone in the room frowning and unhappy. “Good job Thomas.”

Petra shook her head, and was about to leave when the other boy spoke and caught her ear.

“You’re giving up because you don’t think you can win?” His hands balled into fists, his face turning an extraordinary red color. “It’s true, we’ve only suffered defeats so far, but that’s only because we know nothing about them, we can’t beat them with sheer force! But with those lost battles we have learned so much more about them, that is our shining beacon of hope!” His eyes, full of fire, danced over every person in the room, drawing them in. “Yet you cowards would dismiss the thousands of sacrifices just to hide in safety behind walls!”

Petra could feel her own heart pounding at his speech, her face pressed up against the window completely drawn in by his passion. He went on after a second of silence, “You’ve got to be joking! You can have your walls, and safety! I will go out and kill every last one of them! I will break free of this prison! That is my dream! Mankind still has hope!”

He looked around the reality of the situation hitting him with each guilty, silent face that stared back. He left, running out the tavern door, with two of his friends calling out, “Wait Eren!”

Petra pressed up against Rageous pulling her hood over her face when she heard the door open and slam shut, she was glad to see they chased him in the opposite direction of her. She leaned against the tavern, listening as the noise in the room resumed.

How many times had she expressed the same sentiments? Maybe not as passionately or eloquently but those same thoughts had passed many times through her head, and she’d said the same to Thomas, though he’d dismissed her feelings calling her a silly idealist.

She continued on past the tavern, making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone exiting. If Thomas happened to come out and notice her it would be a disaster. He’d never quite moved on from her rejection of running away with him, there was tenseness to their relationship they hadn’t passed even in four years. She couldn’t imagine having to explain to him she was leaving home to join the survey corps after she’d said no to running away with him.

Though over protective and sometimes annoyingly concerned, Thomas was a good man, he was honest, sweet, and genuinely caring. She just couldn’t return the passion he felt; just like with her father she couldn’t give him what he wanted. There was an instilled fear in her of love and marriage, she’d seen how her parent’s had ended with her mother’s death. Their marriage had been cursed with betrayal and death, and little Petra had grown up believing love was for fools who were foolish enough to think someone else could love them as much as themselves.

No, Thomas deserved so much more than what a selfish girl with a crown could offer.

There was an inn just a few blocks away from the Wall Sina. Petra rented a room for the day, had Rageous stabled and bought an early breakfast. The porridge was watered down and bland. The King would have had the cook’s head if he’d been served him something so tasteless, which was why to Petra it tasted perfectly delectable.

She slept the rest of the day, and by night she had Rageous saddled and trotting through Hermina’s exit gate.

By noon Wall Rose was in sight.

A mile away from the wall she stopped to let him rest and eat while she looked over her map of the Trost district. First she planned on spending several weeks in hiding to be sure her father wouldn’t find her, and then she really had little idea on what to do next. She’d been so desperate just to leave and not get caught the part about joining the Survey Corps had gone severally neglected.

“What do you think Rageous, want to join the Corps with me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” She gave the horse a sly look, admiring the way his sleek muscles rippled as he grazed on his apples.

She was about to start munching on her own apple when the whole ground shook knocking it out of her hand. “What the-“

Simultaneously an orange streak of lightening lit the heavens, striking just on the other side of the Trost district. The earth trembled, and there was a tremendous crashing noise. Plumes of smoke rose from inside the wall. Even from a mile away she could hear terrified screaming.

“Titans,” Petra’s whisper was drowned out by shrieking. “Rageous, let’s go.”

Her horse showed no signs of fear or of bolting, which impressed Petra. She could only hope he didn’t change his mind long enough to get into Trost. Quickly Petra put on her 3D maneuvering device, and mounted Rageous covering the mile in a matter of minutes. People were already streaming out of the inner Trost gate, the garrison guards attempted to keep order but panic was an epidemic.

People were shoving and stampeding to get past the gate, children cried and mothers wailed. Some people were already covered in blood. Petra guided Rageous through the gate slowly pushing against the tide of hysteria. The guards were too busy dealing with the citizens to care she was headed in the opposite direction of safety.

Her blood ran cold when she saw what awaited her on the other side. Titans, everywhere, wondered the streets of Trost, so tall they peek-a-booed over buildings. Never had Petra imagined them to be so huge, the size was staggering and made her knees weak. She nearly fell off Rageous when he suddenly charged forward.

“What are you doing?” She pulled on his reins but he refused to stop or even slow down, he’d never done this before. “Rageous, please, stop!”

She gave up yanking on the reins and hugged his muscular neck to keep from falling, her legs tightened around his girth. Where was this crazy horse taking her? Was he panicking and running wildly?

It seemed his movements were deliberate, and the screams of children were drawing nearer with each turn he made. Rageous finally stopped, and Petra opened her eyes to see three pairs of scared, teary eyes stare up at her. Two boys and one girl, none of them older than nine, all were watching her from behind some rubble of a broken building.

The pounding of the ground alerted Petra to a titan no more than two hundred yards away running straight to them. “Oh dear God.” This was not how she imagined her first encounter would be with one of those monstrosities. She felt frozen with a terrifying sense of her inevitable death, she could picture herself between those yellow teeth crushed in half.

The girl screamed and hugged the boys closer when Petra realized it was not only herself that would be eaten, the children would be devoured as well. Rageous could have easily carried all of them, but he could not have done so and outrun the titan now only a hundred yards away.

Petra slid off quickly, picking up each child and placing them on her saddle. The eldest and biggest was the girl and she sat in the back, her arms wrapped tightly around the boys. “Hold onto these! On your life do not let go!” Petra handed her the reins and turned Rageous the direction opposite of the titan, smacking his hind quarters, at first he neighed disobediently stamping his hooves. “Go you stupid horse!” Petra could feel her fear give her voice an angry shrieking quality. She hit him harder on the behind and Rageous took off at a slow gallop.

His lackadaisical speed would have to do because the titan was now fifty yards away. Petra froze standing in the middle of the street, trying to remember what to do next. What did you do to fight one of these things? How did someone fight something so huge? The sheer size made her mind numb, her thoughts frozen and refusing to thaw.

Its speed was something Petra had never thought possible for something the size of a house, she had always thought they meandered slowly, the fact they actually sprinted made the prospect of fighting one all the more intensely terrifying.

The earth shook with incredible force and she found herself on the ground staring up into the wide round eyes of the titan. At the last second, when its ginormous hand reached down to grab her, she found the courage to eject a cable.

It missed.

She couldn’t even scream as that gigantic hand wrapped its bloody fingers around her entire body, it squeezed hard and Petra heard a rib snap. A sharp pain rent her sides, and she would have screamed if she could. The titan held her up to its face, its whole expression creepily stony. The jaws opened and a blast of hot rancid air hit her face. Rows of dulled square teeth lined its gums, she could see several arms and hands stuck between the teeth.

Petra shut her eyes, unwilling to see her own death play out before her. She hoped it would end quickly, maybe it would bite her head or break her spine. With her luck it would swallow her whole and she’d digest slowly, painfully aware of each agonizing moment.

At least she’d saved the children; she could only hope Rageous would carry them to safety.

Petra heard the smooth sound of steel slicing through flesh, and she found herself falling backwards cocooned in the giant’s hand, the landing jarred her and she rolled several feet, gulping in air as she went. Coughing she did her best to sit up, only to lay back down on her back. The wretched pain in her side made it seem as if it was on fire.

What had just happened?

“Hey, you,” A voice, irrationally calm, called out. She winced turning her head to look up to see a small figure standing on top of the melting titan head, a blade held out in each hand. “You’re a terrible fighter.”

Shocked she stared at his serious expression in wonderment. Had he just insulted her?

And then she laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Absolutely absurd.


	2. Pretend Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra faces joining the Survey Corps or being sent home.

Arc One: Flight for Freedom

Chapter Two: Pretend Soldier

 

The man that had just saved her life hopped down from the dissipating titan head to kneel over her. “Can you stand?”

“With help,” Petra answered her breath shallow and painful.

He held out his hand, which was surprisingly strong when she gripped it. As she sat up her hood fell away from her face, and for a split panicked second she thought she saw recognition light his dark eyes, but he said nothing so she passed it off as her imagination.

He looked familiar, now that he stood close to her. She stared hard at his face trying to place him, before he could place her. Then it hit her, five years before at a ball held in her honor for her birthday, she had danced with a young upstart named Levi. She’d heard of his exploits through the years, and how he’d moved through the ranks to be captain of the specialized forces.

Maybe just cutting her hair hadn’t been enough.

“They are calling a retreat,” He commented and Petra looked up to see a smoke signal in the sky. “What squad are you in?”

“Uhh,” She didn’t have time to think of an answer before he asked another question.

“Do you even know how to use those?” His eyes led her down to her 3D device and she blushed, embarrassed a high ranking Survey Corps member of his reputation, someone she had secretly revered for many years, had seen her screw up so royally.

“Yes.”

“Could have fooled me.” She didn’t think her face could get any hotter, but somehow it did.

“I’ll be fine.” She responded through gritted teeth, “thank you for saving me.”

“You can repay me by getting up the wall.”

Petra watched in awe as he used his own device to easily scale a building. He was on the roof by the time she blinked. She’d never seen anyone else use a 3D maneuvering device, and to see someone use it so effortlessly was incredible. “Wow.” She whispered, gripping her device nervously. “Here goes nothing.”

She felt herself jerked up by the cable, ignoring the flare of pain in her side, and was able to keep up the pattern by targeting the side of another house. It was exhilarating to fly through the air, to come so close to crashing to the ground and to be pulled up higher at the last second. She pushed herself faster than she’d ever gone before, yet Captain Levi surpassed her easily, even slowing down several times to be sure she kept up. When she would reach her highest arc, the split second when she hung in midair, she’d look down into the streets below, searching for Rageous and the children.

One of those times she spotted them galloping at full speed to the open gate on a route parallel to her own with two titans in pursuit.

“The children!” Was all the warning she gave Levi before veering off course, all the while praying she would make it in time. He also saw the horse carrying the children and quickly sped past her to dispatch the titan closest to them.

Petra threw herself at the slowest titan, slashing as she went, hitting whatever spot she could manage. It was enough to garner the attention of the frowning titan who turned with unexpected speed slapping at Petra’s cable. She soared through the air, tumbling over and over until she hit some rubble.

Dazed she turned over to see the titan walking toward her, the ground trembling with each step. “I’ll take you,” She was angry now, her rage sparked when she’d seen how it had pursued helpless children, children whose lives had been turned upside down by titans. She felt the fire in her consume her fear; she wanted to kill this monstrosity, wanted to see it smoking and charred on the ground, never able to hurt another innocent again. “Come get me!”

This time instead of letting that awful hand grab her she ejected a line and flew past the titan. She reacted twisting around before the titan could turn, using a cable to hook onto its back, pulling her directly toward it. She slashed flesh off its back, stabbing and hacking, but it was like hitting a rock. It didn’t seem affected at all. “Damn it.”

“The neck, hit the nape!” It was Captain Levi watching her closely from a rooftop nearby.

Petra swung around one last time to attack the back of the neck. This was it, she thought excitedly, I’m going to do it!

She cried out when the titan’s hand came out of nowhere to slap her like a gnat. She hit the ground with enough force to break bones and knock her out.

Levi was already moving when he’d seen the titan raise his hand with that uncanny agility, there was no way an inexperienced soldier could avoid such an unexpected move. He approached from the front, flying toward its grotesquely pouting face; the titan was completely distracted by the tiny human crumpled on the ground, its hand reaching out to engulf her.

“Hey, ugly.” Levi threw his twin blades, each flying into one of the titan’s unblinking eyes, hot, steaming blood flowed down its grossly huge face. Seemingly unaffected its hands continued to reach out blindly for the girl. But Levi had bought enough time to flip over its shaggy head, slicing into the flesh of it vulnerable neck.

Once defeated Levi approached her broken form, still not quite believing their next-to-be ruler was in Trost attempting to fight titans, and with rather poor form he added frowning. “Hello Princess.”

He made a face when he saw her right eye bulging out of its socket, glistening grotesquely in the daylight. He kneeled down ignoring the way the eye seemed to stare at him, and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a faint pulse. It was going to be tricky carrying her back with the eye popped out, but he supposed it was better to lose one eye than lose your entire body.

A glint at the base of her throat caught his attention. A silver pendent studded with diamonds and shaped in the Survey Corps’ Wings of Freedom symbol sparkled in the afternoon sun, shining brightly despite the blood smeared across it. Even blemished he still recognized it as the pendent she’d worn at the birthday ball from five years before, he suddenly remembered her saying that someday she would join the Survey Corps, at the time he’d passed it off as the whim of a child, never did he think she was serious. Levi broke the chain and stuffed the necklace in his pocket for safekeeping.

Fortunately she was relatively small, and he easily hoisted her onto his back. The difficult part was shifting her weight as he flew through the air so as to not drop her. She wouldn’t survive another fall, it was nothing short of a miracle she’d lived through what she had so far.

He recognized the dark horse by the gate; the beast was relieved of his three small burdens and being led away by a garrison guard. The beast had other ideas though and pulled back, stamping his hooves and jerking his head side-to-side, the guard shouted angrily at it but it persisted in its ornery behavior.

“Hey, what are you doing to my horse?” The flustered guard turned as if to snap a retort, but quickly saluted when he saw who was calling him.

“Sir!”

“Stop worrying about a damn horse, and worry more about evacuating the citizens.”

“Sir!”

Levi approached the horse, petting its snout and letting him sniff Petra. It was obviously a highbred horse, judging by its unusual height and strength, its speed in outrunning the titans had been impressive. It was surprisingly such a beast would act aggressively, usually a horse of such pedigree was agreeable. Fortunately the horse visibly relaxed and let Levi place Petra in the saddle; covering her face with the hood of her cloak to be sure no one else would recognize her as he had.

He rode northeast toward a hidden headquarters the scouts used years before the first break in Wall Maria. There Commander Erwin held secret meetings, and specialized training took place. He suspected Erwin would be there after this latest break in the wall, as would any injured scouts.

His heart hardened at the sight of thousands of refugees making their way to the Hermina District. Many cried the names of loved ones they would probably never see again, others walked in a zombie-like trance clearly traumatized by all that had transpired. Children, most likely orphaned or abandoned, huddled in groups looking wide-eyed and scared. He’d seen this scene played out before five years ago, the second time around wasn’t any easier to watch than the first.

When he arrived at the headquarters the Chief Senior Officer of Medicine took over Petra for him, she was a slender lady with silvery white hair, and azure eyes. She’d seen her fair share of broken bodies, if anybody could put a soldier back together after a fight with a titan it was her. “Oh my dear, carry her to the infirmary for me. I’ll need to get some gloves for that eye, and I’ll-“

Levi passed the reins of the ill-tempered horse to a stable hand that was nearly kicked, not really listening to the medical officer; he was too absorbed into his own thoughts to think about what Chelsea was going to do to help Petra. A new hole in the wall, finding the princess playing soldier and almost eaten, and a host of other problems he was just too put out to think on.

He did notice some shelves and supplies that needed dusting in the infirmary and after placing Petra on a clean mattress he went to work wiping them down. The Medicine Officer rolled her eyes as she went about her business, “Worried about all the wrong things, your friend doesn’t look well dear.”

“Twiddling my thumbs, hovering over you will not help her, this helps me think.”

Chelsea pulled on a pair of latex gloves, and spritzed the girl’s right eye with sterilized water. It was bloodshot and swollen, and she wasn’t sure if it could be saved after such exposure, but she could try. Carefully she pulled back the eyelid, gently pressing on the orb until it popped back into the socket with a plop sound that would have made anyone, but a veteran of medicine, gag. She stitched the upper and lower lids shut, and covered it with an eye patch for extra protection.

Next Chelsea opened the travelling cloak, unbuttoning the shirt beneath, biting her lip when she saw there was more black and purple than pale, pink skin. This was not going to be an easy fix. “Levi, dear, would you mind disassembling the maneuvering device? I always have such trouble getting those damn things off.”

Levi was mortified to see the princess so exposed, but was relieved the eye was taken care of and covered. He quickly stripped her of the device, ignoring the way Chelsea watched his uncomfortable expression. “So who is she?”

“A pretend soldier.”

There was no time for Chelsea to ask what his cryptic answer meant, at that moment wounded from the battle on Trost poured into the infirmary.

Two days later Captain Levi found Commander Erwin Smith sitting in his study, looking over a map of Trost. “Commander,” He saluted before Erwin gestured for him to enter.

“They did it,” Erwin looked as excited as Levi had ever seen him. “They sealed the gate.”

“So it’s true then.” Levi appeared thoughtful, “We have a titan on our side. I thought people were hallucinating.”

“If we can seal one wall…”

“We can seal Maria.” Levi finished.

Erwin nodded and continued studying the map.

“It seems we have a special guest.” The Captain added after a moment of silence to let the news sink in.

He looked up from the map in time to catch a silvery object tossed at him. It was a bloodstained Wings of Freedom pendent. He flipped it over to read the engraved writing on the back.

_'To my dearest Petra, never stop fighting for your freedom'_

“Petra?” An intrigued expression crossed his face, Petra was a relatively usual name, but Erwin knew of only one that could be considered special. “You mean?”

Levi nodded. “I believe she wants to fight titans.”

“I see,” Erwin considered the implications of this new development. “Does her father know?”

Levi smirked despite himself, “Well she’s hardly daddy’s little girl, I would guess not. I found her engaging a titan and losing rather badly, yet somehow she has all the equipment of a trained military policeman.”

“Interesting.”

“Hardly, she is probably nothing more than a spoiled brat that stole valuable equipment to rebel against her father and got in over her head.” He said this with little conviction, he’d seen her save the children by sacrificing her only way of escape, and she’d fought against all odds despite her injuries and inexperience.

Erwin’s face became very calculating. “Well the spoiled brat could prove very valuable. I want you to take this to her father and give him the bad news,” Erwin threw the necklace back, “I would hate for search parties to waste their time looking for her.”

“Yes sir.”

The king sat in his study playing a game of chess with a man by the name of General Pixis. His royal highness was a pudgy man wrapped in the finest silk the land could produce, his hair was thinned but what he lacked on top he made up for in his long, thick mustache. The crown on his head could feed thousands of people, Levi thought with a sneer.

“Ha check!” The king moved a piece on the board, his sweaty hand nearly dropping his queen.

“So it is.” General Pixis was an old battle-hardened soldier, with a shaved head and a silver mustache. He was commander of the Garrison, and had spent many years battling titans along the walls. His brows rose creating many wrinkles on his forehead, a phony look of surprise crossing his face. “Good move.” His kindly grey eyes smiled at the king.

“How do you ever expect to win a war against those beasts if you can’t even beat me at chess?”

Levi saw two of the garrison guards, which had accompanied Pixis, roll their eyes. “My king,” Pixis said ignoring the jab, “I believe we have a guest that has been patiently waiting for some time now.”

“Yes, yes of course.” The king’s beady eyes met Levi’s grave expression, and he waved him over. “What is so important that you feel the need to interrupt my chess game?”

“Sir,” Levi did a quick salute that wasn’t quite up to par, but neither was disrespectful enough to call out. “While battling titans in the Trost district I came across this.” He pulled out the bloody pendent, laying it carefully on the chess table. “It appears your daughter was caught up in the attack on Trost.”

A myriad of emotions crossed the king’s ruddy face, “That girl was just like her mother,” He appeared to settle on irritated. “I suppose I should call off the search parties, and I’ll need to find another queen to make an heir with, and” Levi watched with distaste as he moved his chess queen to knock Pixis’ piece out of place though it was still the general’s turn, “check mate.”

“Here take this ratty old thing; it’s no use to me now.” The king threw the pendent back to Levi then looked up at him as though he were annoying bug buzzing in his ears, “Is that all Captain?”

“Yes Sir.” He saluted again before leaving.

There was no need to worry about another heir to the throne, Levi thought, it was a hushed secret the king was infertile. Petra really was his only heir, it was a little known fact that this was the reason he’d agreed to keep her in the first place after the Queen’s death despite her illegitimacy.

Petra woke up to the second worst headache of her life, the first being the morning after her mother’s execution. She groaned, rubbing her head to stop the pain. She opened her left eye and vaguely realized she couldn’t open her right, her right arm was in a sling and her left leg in a cast. The last thing she remembered was the children riding on Rageous, running from titans, and her racing to catch them, then that hand swatting her out of the air.

She felt along her side and pain flared hotly when she touched certain spots even through the thick bandages. “I can’t believe I’m alive.”

“Neither can I.” Petra startled at the sound of another person’s voice, she winced when she jerked.

“Captain Levi?” It sounded like him, but her vision was blurred, and the room was dark.

“Yes.”

Petra felt her face, lightly touching her right eye and realizing it was covered, “Do I have a patch over my eye?”

Levi stood to lean against the wall, tired of the hours of sitting and waiting, “Yes, we thought it would help with your disguise.”

Petra froze, and her heart skipped a beat. He knew. “I realized who you were right when I saw you. You’ll have to do better than cutting your hair Princess.”

“I suppose so,” She smiled crestfallen she’d been found out so easily. “Did the children and Rageous survive?”

“The children made it to the gate, and your horse is in the stable.”

“Are you going to send me home?” Petra asked, dreading his answer, she didn’t want to go back home and have her father see her fallen and broken. A big ‘I told you so,’ written in his judging eyes. She couldn’t take going back, not after everything; she’d fallen so far short of her own expectations. She’d failed as royalty, and now she’d failed before even joining the Survey Corps. After everything she’d been through to be sent back home seemed an absurd idea, like some cosmic joke that wasn’t the beginning of humorous. She could feel her dreams slipping through her fingertips, she’d tried so hard training herself night after night, breaking bones, running herself ragged for five years, and there was nothing to show for it.

“Well from what I saw you’ll be a titan’s main course before long. You’re a terrible fighter, possibly the worst I’ve seen in a long time, possibly ever. You don’t stand a chance. Sending you home would be the humane thing to do.”

Levi watched her face burn, turning crimson as if all the blood in her body had gone to her head and she would implode any second. “Please, don’t hold back.” She muttered.

“I never hold back.”

Petra swallowed her sarcasm and pride, forcing herself to face the truth. “You’re right.”

I’m a failure, she added inwardly, half expecting him to echo her thoughts.

“I’m not finished.” She looked up foreseeing a verbal beat down. “You displayed courage in despairing odds, and a willingness to sacrifice yourself I would not have expected from someone of your status. I saw potential.”

Petra sat stone still, unsure how to take a compliment from someone she so revered. “What are you saying?”

“I can work with potential.” There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again, “You told me once you wanted to join the Survey Corps. Are you still willing to join a group of people that risk their lives for the sake of a freedom they may never see themselves?”

Petra digested his question; she thought of how long it had been her dream to be a soldier, how she’d fought so many battles within herself, how she’d promised her mother to live as she would have wanted her to. Instinctively she reached for her pendent, smiling sadly when she realized it was gone, a small sacrifice to save the lives of three innocents. She remembered the night she’d met Levi, how when they’d danced she’d whispered to him how she was going to join the Survey Corps, the only person she’d ever told of her aspirations.

She thought of how awful the titans were, how after one encounter she’d been demolished, nearly permanently so. The images of those teeth closing in on her, how those soulless eyes had stared unblinkingly into her own, that awful hot breath suffocating her. They were so much more monstrous than what she had previously imagined. The sheer size was enough to send someone screaming in unmitigated horror. Yet, it had been worth it, throwing herself into battle so carelessly, it had been worth it to save those children’s lives. She remembered how those three pairs of eyes had watched her, helpless to stop their death running toward them; how it had become her death the moment she’d let Rageous go.

She’d accepted it as her fate, until Levi like a miracle from above had swooped in to save her.

“More than ever,” She answered resolutely.

“We don’t offer royal treatment, so don’t expect anything special.” His eyes were intensely serious as though he expected her to throw a fit over what he’d just said.

“I’m ready.” She steeled her gaze to meet his own, showing her resolve.

Looking upon her battered form, Levi wondered if sending her home truly wasn’t the humane thing to do, her arm, leg, and ribs were broken, her eye potentially permanently blind. He didn’t know if she could effectively use her 3D gear even after she’d gone through the long agonizing healing process. And then to send her back out there, in the midst of battle, seemed cruel. His doubts were quickly burned away by the fire blazing brightly in her left eye; she was determined to become one of them.

If after everything she’d been through she still had the desire who was he to tell her no?

“Welcome to the Survey Corps.”


	3. A Beautiful Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra discovers the fate of her right eye.

Arc One: Flight for Freedom

Chapter Three: A Beautiful Day

_Teeth, rows and rows of yellow teeth, flat, dull, and ugly all smiling up at her. A slimy pink tongue squirming in the lion’s den, waiting for her to be dropped inside. Hot, foul breath blasting her face, blowing back her hair and sticking to her skin. She struggled helplessly against the immense strength of the monster, its huge fingers wrapping around her weak form squeezing the life out of her._

_She screamed long and hard, sobbing, beating her fists against her fleshy prison. Nobody would hear her cries, nobody would come this time, they were gone, dead, eaten alive. Now it was her turn. There was no escaping this fate, the fate of all who dared to oppose the titans, who dared to dream of freedom, who dared to fight._

_The hand pushed her inside, stuffing her into the boiling hot cave, she fell down the slippery chute desperately reaching to stop her descent. Her fingers clung to those awful teeth, watching the light of the outside world disappear when they snapped shut, severing her appendages. She plunged back into darkness, the powerful muscles of its throat ushering her into its bowels._

Petra thrashed in her bed, screaming. She sat up, crying when she realized she was in her room and not digesting in a titan’s stomach. Sweat dripped from her brow, down her face, running in rivulets down her shirt. Pain shot up her sides, and her body ached and trembled. Her broken leg hung awkwardly off one side of the bed from her floundering, but she was too worn to even attempt to move it.

The nightmares had gradually become more realistic, the feelings, the fear more tangible. Her heart audibly beat in her chest, and her blood drummed in her ears. She looked down to see ten wiggling fingers attached to her hands, and breathed a sigh of relief.

She startled when her door flew open, and Captain Levi stood in the doorway, a lantern illuminating the room in one hand and a long blade in the other. “What’s going on?” He demanded.

Petra quickly wiped her tears away, more ashamed than she could ever remember being in her life. She must have screamed, not only in her dream, but out loud. “It was nothing, I’m sorry. I thought…” She stopped not really wanting to explain herself. “It was nothing,” She repeated.

He sighed closing the door quietly behind him, setting the lantern and the blade on the table by her window. “You woke the castle for nothing?”

Her face burned in embarrassment, how did he always seem to make her feel so humiliated with just a few words?

“I’m sorry,” She muttered.

He bent down to grab her casted leg, carefully arranging it back on the bed. She swallowed hard when he sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes piercing and sharp. “Never apologize for being human.”

She wondered at him, one second so cold, so unapproachable, and the next showing his humanity.

“You yelled about your fingers,” Levi grasped her left hand, holding it up to the light, examining it. Now her face felt hot for different reasons, “They seem fine to me.”

He let go when she pulled away, “Like I said, it was nothing.” She looked off to the side unable to meet his gaze any longer.

“Don’t be ashamed of your nightmares, everyone deals with them differently.” He stood suddenly to leave, taking the blade off the table. “Keep the light on, it will help.”

He left his lantern burning brightly on the table.

A few days later Chief Medicine Officer Chelsea entered Petra’s room with a tray of fruit. It was still early morning so she figured the girl would be asleep; she was troubled to see Petra was up reading a book by lantern light in her bed.

She dog-eared a page before closing the book and smiling at her caretaker. “Good evening Mrs. Smith.”

“You mean good morning dear.” Mrs. Smith cleared the table from last night’s dinner, frowning deeply. Petra should have eaten and slept already, but eleven hours later her food was still untouched and she hadn’t gone to bed.

“Morning already?” Petra could feel the weariness seep into her bones, she’d tried to sleep, tossing for hours on end. She’d never been in such constant, aching pain, and her nightmares over the past few days had continued to worsen, though it did help to light Levi’s lantern. Eventually she’d given in and instead of sleeping, she did the assigned reading for her class.

Mrs. Smith pulled apart the curtains revealing the horrid light of a brand new day.

Petra closed her left eye against the onslaught of ultraviolet rays, suddenly wishing for another eye patch. Mrs. Smith tore away her blanket, and Petra groaned as she helped sit her up to sit on the edge of the bed, propping a crutch under her left arm.

“Have they come back yet?” She asked, thinking of one person in particular.

“No, dear, perhaps by this afternoon. A trial takes some time to settle you know.”

She hobbled slowly to the table, doing well to hide her concern. “You must trust in them my dear, they always come back.” Petra glanced to see anxiety written on Mrs. Smith’s face.

“I’m sorry, I had forgotten.” She apologized. “Your husband…”

“Don’t worry dear, Erwin has always come back to me, even before all this titan-smashing-the-wall business started. He was out there risking his life.”

Petra smiled halfheartedly guilt knotting her stomach. She chewed on a strawberry, then some honeydew before giving up, she found she just wasn’t hungry. Petra wished she wouldn’t bring her so much food, maybe she could take the plate to the stable and let Rageous finish it for her.

“Make sure you eat the whole plate before I get back.” Mrs. Smith left in a blur; she was a busy lady with many sick and wounded to attend to.

Slowly she was able to dress herself in a button down short-sleeve shirt, and capris. It was some of the few things she was able to wear in her damaged state. Dressing was, in itself, a painful and long process. Getting down to the room where her class was held was an even longer process. Each step on the staircase was agony, every muscle and broken bone screamed in protest.

Her new sensei Chichi was just setting up the classroom when Petra stumbled in, dropping her pack full of books on her desk. “You look like hell.”

Petra couldn’t help but laugh, her old sensei would never have been so blunt with her, but here everyone was equal and spoke their minds. “Thanks Chichi.”

Chichi was a lovely, formidable lady with long dark hair, tanned skin, and black, almond eyes. There was one blemish on her freckled face, a long white scar running from her forehead down to her jawline. She had told the class it was from a titan gnawing on her face, which caused quite a few gasps.

Petra took a few minutes to rest, while her classmates filed in and found their seats. Her desk was by the window looking out into the fields below the headquarters, and she found herself searching, more often than not, those fields the last few days of class. Now she watched as recruits rode their horses practicing the long-range scouting formation. She itched to go out there with them, testing her own knowledge and strength.

Six weeks was the minimum for her injuries to heal, and only one and a half had passed. Mrs. Smith had said she’d like for her to wait eight, but if she could start in six, she would start in six no matter what Mrs. Smith said.

She grinned when Reiner Braun entered the classroom, genuinely pleased to see him. He was the most considerate among her classmates, and always offered to carry her book bag which Petra refused. It was a nice offer, but it would make her look weak and needy to the others.

He sat in a desk next to her returning her smile. “You look like hell.”

“So I’ve been told.”

He pulled out their current reading material, a thick book on maneuvers and formations. “Did you do the reading last night?”

“I read to page five hundred sixty-seven.”

Reiner’s eyes swallowed his face, “But there’s only five hundred and forty-four pages!” He argued.

“I read the epilogue.” She stuck her tongue out teasingly at his incredulous face.

“Okay class! Listen up! I want an honest answer, who did last night’s reading?”

The class was interesting but since she felt she already knew the material her eyes kept drifting to the fields below. It wasn’t until about the fifth time her eyes wandered that she saw some small black dots on the horizon. Her face lit up, and her heart did a somersault.

When class ended she gathered her things into her pack and slung it over her left shoulder. She playfully slapped Reiner’s hand away when he attempted to grab the bag from her.

By the time she’d made it outside there was a crowd gathered, cheering at the new arrivals. Captain Levi, Commander Erwin, Captain Hange, and a dark haired boy rode in a group at the front with several specialized forces in the back. Levi looked bored and brooding, and Erwin wore his usual straight, stern face, Hange was smiling from ear-to-ear clearly pleased with how things went, while the boy looked around as though in surprise. Hange leaned over and whispered to him, and he managed to put on an awkward smile.

People around Petra whispered and pointed at the boy, she heard fragments of their gossip, one guy calling him a human titan. She studied the boy closer and her eyes widened when she saw the human titan was the same boy who’d given the passionate speech in the tavern the night she’d run away. What had his friends called him? Eren?

So he was the human that could transform into one of those beasts, she couldn’t imagine how that would look. Maybe he was a small titan? Or just a human with titan strength? Surely the rumors that he actually turned into a titan were out of proportion, literally so.

Commander Erwin dismounted to greet his wife, Levi taking the reins of his steed. The couple embraced and Petra could see tears in Mrs. Smith’s bright blue eyes. Petra blushed staring pointedly away when their lips met. There was a part of her that glowed to see them together, but there was another part, a part she hated, that burned with envy at their love and devotion.

Her thoughts of devotion led her to memories of Thomas, he’d always been a faithful friend, even after everything she’d put him through he had still cared for her. All she’d ever done for him was broken his heart. She remembered as a child when he’d come to comfort her after her mother’s execution.

_“Petra?”_

_The little girl quickly ceased her sobbing, wiping away the persistent tears. ”Go away.”_

_“It’s Thomas,” The little boy opened the broom closet, pushing away the cleaning supplies. He stepped in to sit next to Petra. She obligingly scooted over burying her face in her knees. “Are you okay?”_

_She shook her head, and sobbed unable to hold back the dam of pain any longer. He moved closer wrapping his small arms around her tiny shoulders. “I saw what they did, it was awful.”_

_“Why? Why did they do that? Why did they hurt my mamma?” She looked up into the darkness, her tears streaming down her face and neck. She wanted her mother back, she wanted her so bad all of her insides ached, the pressure of grief bared down on her heart. She felt it tearing, breaking into pieces. “I miss her so much.”_

_Thomas hugged her tight, and she buried her face in his side, whimpering, soaking his peasant shirt. “We can share my mom, she’s really nice, and she makes cookies. Sometimes she makes me do chores though.”_

_Petra paused, sniffling, “Really? You’d share your mom with me?”_

_Thomas nodded, happy he had made Petra stop crying, “I’d share anything with you, Petra.”_

He’d always been there for her. In her darkest hour, when there had been no one, he’d come, and she’d repaid him with a shattered heart and crushed dreams. She wondered if she’d ever have the chance to tell him how sorry she was…

Later, after everything had settled down, Petra went down to the stable to see Rageous. Every day she visited him, brushed him, and let him out of his stall to run in the training fields. She liked to think he appreciated her efforts, especially since all the stablemen refused to go near his stall. He’d already earned quite an infamous reputation.

Today she’d brought him some of the honeydew from her breakfast; he nuzzled her hand grasping the fruit with his lips. While he ate she brushed his back, mane, and what she could reach of his tail, sure to comb out any tangles and hay.

“Petra,” She startled, dropping the brush and painfully jerking her arm. Levi stood outside the stall leaning against the gate, a tiny glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

Petra refused to show her agitation at him for catching her unaware. She stood straight as she could manage and gave a salute, which really wasn’t much of a salute at all considering one arm was still in a sling. “Sir.”

“Spare me the formalities; I can’t stand to see your crooked salute. Here,” His hand held out a familiar piece of jewelry, a silver chain wrapped around his fingers with her precious pendent sparkling in the afternoon light.

Petra grabbed at the empty space where her necklace usually hung from her neck, “I thought it was gone.”

“It was, but now it’s here.”

Her brows furrowed at his reasoning. “You had it the whole time?”

“In the time you’ve been here yes.” She could never quite tell if he was serious, so she took the answer as it was and let it go.

She grabbed her pendent, holding it close to chest. “Thanks.”

He opened the stall gate as she led Rageous out into the fields. The dark beauty took off at a gallop, causing foraging birds to suddenly take flight at his thundering presence. The sleek muscles rippled in rhythm with his movements like liquid onyx and his silvery white mane and tail whipped wildly in the wind.  
He was truly a sight to behold.

Usually she leaned against the wooden railing that marked the beginning of the training fields, and watched until her horse returned since it was too difficult to sit and get back up on her own, but with Levi’s help she was able to sit comfortably and watch Rageous weave in and out of sight.

Her captain sat with his legs crossed in front of him on her left side so she was able to observe him with her uncovered eye. He was such an enigma to her; his countenance was severe and cold, he wasn’t one to put up with anyone whining or crying, yet there were flashes of a more compassionate side. He had helped her when she needed it the other night; he was considerate of her traumas and disabilities.

He hadn’t given up on her, and that kept her motivated despite the constant suffering and exhaustion she felt.

“Your father believes you are dead, so the search parties will stop looking.” It was such an unexpected statement delivered in his usual deadpan voice she had to blink several times in confusion before the meaning settled in.

“Oh,” So that was why he’d had her pendent, to prove she had died. “How did he take the news?”

“Better than a father should I’d suspect.” He really was abrasive, he didn’t sugarcoat anything.

Petra swallowed back her hurt, smiling dolefully. Her relationship with her father was one of necessity, strictly austere, and cold. If he’d been able to have a child of his own making he would have thrown her to the dogs when he’d had her mother executed. But still, she’d grown up only knowing one parent, he was her father by blood or not. There had been times when she was younger he’d acted as she would imagine a loving father should, but as those times passed and were forgotten the bond had gone brittle.

She’d never held her mother’s death against him; she understood that adultery required punishment. But the whole affair had never been her fault, yet he resented her, had secretly abhorred her. He’d only kept her alive because she was his only heir, and few people knew of the scandal. To the citizens she was the legitimate heir, and crowned princess.

“Chelsea said you aren’t eating or sleeping well, do you expect to fight titans anemic and fatigued?”

She shook off thoughts of her father, “I don’t expect to fight titans at all right now.”

“Expect it, in a month, after the scouting expedition, your physical training begins.” His dexterous fingers pulled out an opaque bottle capped off. “Take half a pill before you sleep it’ll help with the nightmares.”

Petra accepted the bottle tucking it into her pants pocket. “Thanks.”

He stood in one swift fluid motion, an ability that Petra envied at the moment. She held out her hand and he helped her to stand, propping the crutch beneath her shoulder. “Don’t tell the nurse.” His sharp grey eyes moved to where she had hidden the pills. “She wouldn’t approve.”

“Yes sir,” She said, secretly pleased he trusted her.

For the next four weeks she put all her concentration on healing and studying. With the pill’s help she began to sleep more restfully, and slowly her strength returned. She no longer felt haunted by phantom fears and night terrors. She excelled in her classes, something unheard of in her previous home life. Where she’d slacked off in royalty she more than made up for in the Survey Corps academics.

When two weeks had passed Mrs. Smith and Levi came to see her, it was time to unstitch her eye. Petra watched the slender lady go about her work apprehensively; she hummed a soothing tune as she sat Petra near the window for better lighting.

“Okay Dear,” She stared at her apprehensively with her kindly blue eyes. “I don’t know if your eye will function, I did the best I could when Levi brought you in, but without constant moisture an eye will dry out in no time at all.”

Petra had prepared herself for this, had told herself many times she may never be able to use her right eye again, but now with the prospect so near she faltered, self-doubt crept into her mind. Could she use her maneuvering device with only one eye? Levi leaned against the wall with one leg propped up beneath him, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Just watching him calmed her; he was so self-assured as if nothing affected him. He emanated power and stability, and just his presence gave her courage.

Carefully the stitches were cut away with a tiny pair of scissors, each string pulled out was painful and she took hope that there was feeling in the area. When the last stitch was removed she half-opened her right eye, which was as far as it would open without using her fingers. The muscles had grown weak in just the last few weeks.

She looked around the room, then covered her left eye and moved her head around again.

Nothing.

Just darkness.

When she opened her left eye again, Mrs. Smith had such a pitying expression Petra reflexively smiled, she didn’t want sympathy from anyone. “Well we tried, that’s all you can do right?”

The Chief Medicine Officer couldn’t hide her surprise and even Levi looked up slightly perplexed. “Yes dear, of course.” She readily agreed looking to Levi for support, but his penetrating gaze never left Petra.

Petra replaced the patch back over her eye, burying her disappointment beneath hardened resolve and steadfast determination; she stared out the window, before her the horizon stretching out endlessly into the unknown world calling for those who dared to explore the regions beyond. She admired the perfectly clear sky, the brilliant sun spraying shafts of light across the blooming fields; the colors more vivid, more alive than she’d ever noticed before. Hundreds of flocks of geese flew in unison across the heavens, honking loudly, riding on the updrafts, searching for their next home.

Their freedom to spread their wings reminding her so much of the reason she’d left home in the first place. She smiled enjoying the warmth radiating from the window, loving how it reminded her she was alive.

“It’s a beautiful day.”


	4. Broken Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra is left to feel the effects of a betrayal.

 

Arc One: Flight for Freedom

Chapter Four: Broken Trust

A/N: This chapter is a day late because I was doing a lot of editing. Thanks to those who gave kudos and read the story, it means a lot to me. Enjoy!

The palace ball room was as Levi remembered it being from five years before, the only difference being instead of a celebration it was a time for mourning. Grand twin staircases spiraled on either side of the main room leading to a balcony above giving it a stately appearance. The floor was made of glossy white marble that reflected the room's occupants, and the walls were decorated with finely woven tapestries and oil paintings. A giant chandelier, the size of a titan's head, hung loftily from the ceiling, made of flashing jewels and gold, lighting the entire room.

A dark chestnut coffin raised on a dais was the focal point of the room, surrounded by hundreds of chrysanthemums and roses that lined the closed casket.

People, wealthy and high-ranking, dressed in black and grey wandered up to the coffin placing flowers at the base, whispering words of prayer while touching the casket of their dead princess. Most of the guests thought it was closed casket because the body had been so damaged it would have been too ghastly for any of their sensitive tastes, but Levi knew the coffin was vacant. There was no one to bury.

Commander Erwin stood next to him talking business with General Pixis, both wore black tux suits with a glass of wine in their hands. Erwin had asked Levi to come to assist in watching for suspicious activity. Rarely did anything escape Levi's acute gaze, which was why shadowy movement on the second floor did not escape his notice.

"Excuse me." He gave Erwin a meaningful expression before making his way to the staircase.

The second floor balcony overlooked the entire ballroom, and was lit by miniature versions of the large chandelier. Few people walked along the railing, preferring to stay in the crowd of the main area to gossip.

His senses alerted him to a presence behind him; he turned suddenly his hand hovering over a hidden knife in his jacket pocket.

"Levi, it has been a long time." A tall familiar figure stepped out from behind a tapestry, and Levi did well to hide his alarm.

"Not long enough." Levi retorted, his mind working out two different escape routes.

Kenny grinned smugly as if highly amused, "I can see you figuring out how to abdicate yourself from this predicament, but if I had wanted you dead you would be bleeding next to the empty coffin down there."

Levi straightened, feigning astonishment. "Empty coffin?"

Kenny's smirk died on his face, "Where is she Levi?"

The two hunters stared each other down, the challenge clear in their predatory eyes. "You're more than welcome to try and find out."

"You can't hide her forever."

"I don't plan to."

Levi held his gaze refusing to back down, and Kenny chuckled as if he had just indulged a child's fancies. "She is mine Levi, and no one can stop me from having her, not even you."

He was gone, as suddenly as he came, leaving Levi to contemplate why his former mentor would want Petra.

The designated meeting room was an abandoned storage shed behind the Survey Corps headquarters, dimly lit with a few lanterns brought in by its current occupants. Old and broken 3D maneuvering gear, extra blades and gas tanks, and left over parts stacked up against the walls. The smell of rust and mildew left a bitter after taste and burned the nostrils of all who breathed the dank odor.

"Can we open a door or something? It stinks like shit in here." One of the seven moved to crack open the door, only to be stopped by an outstretched arm.

"What are you stupid Grady? You want someone to come by and hear us?"

Grady leaned uneasily back away from the exit, "Whose stupid idea was it to meet here anyway?"

"Mine." Quick gold eyes dared him to say anything else on the issue, and Grady wisely kept quiet.

"How are we doing this? Are we even sure this is the Princess, like the actual Princess that's missing? Didn't they have a funereal for her? I thought she was dead."

"She is, and her head will be worth a fortune once the king knows she is alive."

"How do you know it's her?" The blonde with the intimidating eyes asked.

"I'd know Petra anywhere." He'd seen her, though he'd barely recognized her, while delivering supplies to the Survey Corps. He'd thought he was going crazy, how could Petra be in the Survey Corps? She was supposed to be dead, their soon-to-be ruler, yet here she was on crutches wearing an eye patch, her hair cut, looking battered and bruised, but still the girl he'd always thought he loved.

Everybody, including himself, had thought her dead, killed by titans while visiting Trost, at least that was what they'd been told by the King. There had been a funereal, people, including himself, had mourned, cried over her, over an empty coffin. They'd said the damage had been too horrific to open the casket, but now he knew better, it had been vacant.

Even after his father had committed suicide over losing his job, and Thomas having to leave the Military Police, taking a lower job as a delivery man, to care for his grieving mother and sister, he'd still cried over her loss, thinking he loved her, thinking he'd never be able to love again after her death. And then on a routine drop off he'd seen she was alive, and he'd seethed and fumed for weeks.

And then he'd been approached by a very frightening individual asking if he wanted a high-paying job.

And he'd said yes.

He'd offered her his life, his love, his heart and she'd rejected it. And for what? Life as titan fodder? She'd taken his dreams, his livelihood, his family, and now he would return the favor.

Thomas looked each one of his co-conspirators dead in the eye. "We wait until everyone is gone on this scouting mission, all the injured will be left behind, including Petra. There's a place not far from here, a cottage in the woods where we will meet."

Reiner put his hands behind his head, leaning back on the wall, "So that little firecracker is our next ruler huh?"

Thomas' face screwed up into a knot of bitter hate, "That bitch is our next ruler if I'm a titan."

Reiner's brows raised in a contemplative expression.

Anything was possible.

"Tomorrow you all will be part of a mission scouting titan territory. I want everyone to be mounted and ready at 0700 hours."

"Sir!" In unison veterans and recruits alike saluted and shouted at the end of Commander Erwin's speech. The gathering broke apart to meet with their squad leaders.

Petra sighed watching the new recruits listen to their leader's instructions; she dearly wished she could join them. Only a week away from the six week mark and she'd healed remarkably well. She looked down to the new boot on her leg, put on after the caste had been cut off the day before. She'd been horrified to see how her left leg had shrunk compared to her right leg, Mrs. Smith said it wasn't a big deal and with some rehabilitation it would regain muscle. She tried not to worry about it, but at night she'd taken the boot off to do light exercises.

Her arm was out of the sling, but still in a caste. She could move her fingers without any pain. The bruising on her stomach and sides had subsided, but the aching was substantial. The haunting dreams had drifted away all but forgotten. Without the pills Levi had given her she didn't think she would have slept at all the past few weeks.

His lantern was still a comforting presence to read by.

Petra spotted Levi talking with his specialized task unit; among them were Chichi Solurio, Eld Jinn the second in command, Gunther Schultz, Oluo Bozado, and Eren Yeager the human titan. Watching them she felt a pang of worry knot itself in her chest, an unreasonable fear for their lives overcame her. It was difficult to breathe, and it synched tighter and tighter until she turned away.

That same feeling had come to her as a small child when she'd looked at her mother days before her execution.

The foreboding feeling didn't leave her, even after doing her daily chores, and letting Rageous out to roam. In fact it worsened, grew into this unshakable fear that dogged her every step, the shadow of a storm cloud hovering over her. Some nameless, horrible thing was going to happen, and she was helpless to stop it.

After dinner she waited outside the designated meeting room for a gathering of the Squad Leaders and some of the newer members to end. They filed out one by one and Petra saw each face with the stamp of death upon it. The last one to go was Eren, his face was tense, and his eyes withdrawn. She wondered if they felt it too, the cold breath of the grim reaper against the back their necks, chilling the spine and freezing the blood.

Captain Levi was sitting with his legs crossed alone in the room. He held a small book in his hands, which looked to be a little brown journal.

Petra saluted, "Sir!"

Levi closed the journal, and gestured to an empty chair, "Have a seat."

Petra limped to the open seat, took one glance at his austere face and immediately regretted her decision to come see him. He was more deadpan than usual. The burden of the mission was weighing heavily on everyone's minds. She hesitated, unsure if she should reveal her fears. Would he mock her? Dismiss her? Tell her to not bother him again?

"Did you come to enjoy my delightful presence or do you actually have something to say?"

How did you tell someone you are afraid of a feeling?

She blurted out, "I think you should talk to the Commander about cancelling the mission."

He didn't laugh or sigh impatiently as she had expected him to, as her father would have done. Instead he sat back resting his hands behind his head, his black hair falling away revealing a thoughtful expression. "Petra."

"Yes?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Sir?" She asked unsure if she'd heard him correctly.

"Do you trust me?" He repeated, leaning forward and staring grim-faced into her amber eye. The question was honest, and sincere, lacking any of his usual facetiousness.

"Of course."

He didn't appear satisfied or unsatisfied as if he hadn't been expecting her to answer one way or the other. "Nobody knows how a mission will end; no one can guess what will happen in the duration of that mission. I carry out those missions, whether they end badly or for the better because I trust my commander, and so I am asking you to trust me as your captain."

Petra sat there speechless, completely at a loss what to say. Levi was the strongest, boldest person she'd ever met, inwardly she'd placed him upon some untouchable pedestal she could never reach; she did trust him more so than she cared to admit, but she also trusted her instincts. Petra wanted nothing more than to wholly put her confidence in Levi, but that awful dread crept like slime through her whole body.

She nodded dumbly and he went back to reading the journal. Several minutes passed in stunned silence before she slowly stood to leave. "Petra."

"Yes?"

"Carry a weapon hidden on you at all times tomorrow, do you understand?"

"Yes sir." She saluted turning to leave.

The knot of fear tightened.

The next day she watched solemnly as the scouting formation headed south, she felt as if her heart were tearing in two. A part of her wanted nothing more than to somehow stop this suicide mission, but she remembered Levi's words asking her to trust him. She felt the serrated edge of a knife hidden in her boot, reminding her that she did trust him at least enough to not question why he'd tell her to keep a weapon with her.

Levi's cool gaze passed over her as he rode with his squad. Chichi rode behind him, smiling warmly and waving when she saw Petra. She waved back feeling that this was the last time she'd ever see her beloved sensei again. Some riders looked scared, some determined, some as though they knew they weren't going to come back home, but despite their fears they stayed mounted, none refusing to go, all stayed true to their cause. Petra knew she would never see that kind of courage in any other military branch, and it made her proud to be a part of such an organization, even as she felt her own heartache at seeing them leave.

Then they were gone, possibly forever.

Mrs. Smith was the only other one left in the courtyard, her eyes holding back tears until Erwin was out of sight. Their eyes met and Petra realized they were both crying. Petra quickly wiped away her tears, not wanting to upset Mrs. Smith any more than she already was.

"He'll be okay," Petra drew closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Mrs. Smith nodded, "I know dear, but it never gets any easier saying goodbye."

There was nothing left to say, she smiled cheerlessly and left Petra standing in the courtyard by herself.

It was a strange sensation to stroll around the headquarters while it was empty. Not completely empty, the injured had been left behind, and of course the Senior Medical Officer to tend to them. Still the hallways echoed with each halting step emanating an eerie feeling. It felt colder, almost haunted without people wandering the castle.

At least she had thought no one else was in the headquarters. As she walked she suddenly had the uncanny feeling of being followed, but when she paused and listened there was only the wind singing softly through the windows. Behind her there were only stone walls.

Petra steered toward the kitchen keeping to her plan to surprise Mrs. Smith by helping her with preparing the lunches for the injured, ignoring the creepy feeling of being watched, telling herself it was her paranoia at work. She set about pulling out the ingredients for oatmeal and cubed fruit. She hummed softly to herself, enjoying the calm and quiet of slicing and dicing the strawberries and apples, it was something to take her mind off what the scouting expedition was currently going through.

She paused when she heard the door to the dining area open and close, "Mrs. Smith?"

Footsteps alerted her someone was nearby, she waited, knife in hand, for them to make an appearance, "Anyone there?"

Reiner emerged from the dining area into the kitchen, wearing a large raincoat. He smiled pleasantly, but his usual mirth was gone.

Why was he still there?

"Hey Petra, sorry didn't mean to scare you. Mrs. Smith asked me to help you make lunch."

Petra did well to hide her unease; she hadn't told anyone, including Mrs. Smith, she was going to make lunch or that she would be in the kitchen. Warning bells rang in her head as she returned his faux smile. The little hairs all over her body rose to attention like tiny soldiers. Her hand shook as she gripped the knife tighter.

Petra held her ground as Reiner approached, watching his every move. "Reiner?"

"What?" He stopped suddenly seeing her tense disposition and the blade in her trembling hand.

"Why are you lying to me?"

His innocent act dropped, the friendly demeanor dissipating; it was like a different person suddenly stood in front of her. "Petra put the knife down. There is nothing you can do to stop this."

He walked forward confidently, "Stay away Reiner, I don't want to hurt you, please." She held out her hand warding him back.

"That is why you will lose."

Petra stood stunned, she couldn't move. She found she couldn't raise her weapon against someone she cared for. Reiner had been like a big brother to her, one of her closest friends, had it all been a sham? Had she been so utterly fooled by his acting? She couldn't understand how someone she'd grown so close to could want to do her harm.

"Why are you doing this?"

Reiner towered over her, his expression blank and cold giving nothing away as to what he was thinking. The knife clattered to the floor; it was useless in her hands.

"To save you."

In one swift movement he knocked her out with a blow to the stomach.

" _Petra, wake up my love."_

_Petra rolled over, her blanket covering her small face, "I don' wanna wake up." She whined._

" _It's your birthday, love," A gentle hand pushed away the blanket, revealing two large eyes and a button nose._

_The amber eyes gazed up irritated, "Then lemme sleep, I'm tired."_

_The hand held out a sparkling gift that had Petra sitting up to get a closer look. "Oh my gosh it's so pretty, is it mine?"_

" _Always and forever."_

_Small hands reached out to grasp the pendent. "Ooooh," Petra watched as the blue and white diamonds glitzed when she twirled it round and round. She turned it over screwing up her pretty little face, "What does it say?"_

_Her mother reached out, brushing away her long auburn hair. Petra looked up expectantly only to see a tear falling slowly down her mother's cheek. "Someday you'll know love."_

_She lay down next to her daughter, enjoying the way she admired her gift. "Petra."_

" _Yes mamma?"_

" _Whatever happens the next few days, never forget your mamma loves you."_

" _Okay mamma I love you too."_

"Hey Grady, look I think she's waking up."

Petra woke from her dream feeling as though a titan had stepped on her ribs, her sides throbbed every time she breathed. She barely managed to crack her eye open. The room was lit dimly by lanterns, no sunlight showed through the open window. Two men were watching her from rickety wooden chairs, a deck of cards splayed out on the table. She recognized one of them as part of the military police, a low ranking officer she'd seen slinking around the halls of the castle. The other wore the unicorn symbol for the military police on his jacket.

One ankle was bound with rope to the bed she laid upon. She sat up slowly, determined to look at her captors from a better angle. Her ribs screamed in agony, and she was reminded of Reiner hitting her in the stomach. His betrayal hurt more than any broken bone.

"Welcome to the real world princess." The soldier she recognized grinned, leering at her grotesquely. "Do you remember me?"

Petra sneered, her contempt for the military police and the ache of Reiner's treachery pouring out of her like poison. "I remember you, just another lazy, incompetent moron in the military police."

He rose with such force his chair fell back with a crash, "Grady, wait!" But Grady didn't wait, he pounced on top of Petra slugging her across the face.

"You fucking bitch," He hit her again, snapping her head back the other way. Her eye-patch flew off her head as he swung a third time. Grady grabbed the collar of her shirt pulling her close to his snarling face, his eyes enraged. "You think you're something special? You're nothing! You're a bastard child, you hear me? A bastard child!"

He let go of her shirt and she fell back on the bed, dazed and out of her mind. Somehow she stayed conscious, aware of Grady's groping hands ripping her shirt open. Despite the agony resonating through her body, despite every part of her wanting to give up, lie down, and take it, she swung her hand clawing his face. Her nails drew ribbons of red across his surprised face, he became practically volcanic.

He lost his mind, his hands pressing on her throat, choking the life out of her. "All of you royal fucks think you're so much better than the rest of us! You're nothing!"

She groped blindly reaching for her boot where the hidden knife rubbed against the skin of her broken leg. Every muscle in her body stretched to reach the handle, she managed to grip the tip pulling it out as she felt her world fading away. The serrated edge slid easily into her attacker's heart. The pressure on her throat ceased, blood gushed hotly over her as he fell over the edge of the bed.

"Oh damn, Grady!" His friend who had stood by watching him mercilessly assault her suddenly became animated. He slid his sword from his maneuvering gear, "What did you do?!"

Petra cut through the rope binding her foot, just in time to roll over avoiding a downward slice that would have carved her in half. Feathers flew wildly in the air as the mattress broke open, cleanly cut. Grady's body softened her landing, and she crawled under the bed avoiding another swing that decapitated Grady's corpse, his head rolling across the room.

The flesh-paring blade appeared in front of her face, stabbed downward into the mattress, nearly impaling her head. The feet of her attacker were next to the bed within stabbing distance, she punctured his boot pinning his foot to the floor and he howled, an awful cacophony yelling obscenities. Petra crawled out from under the safety of the bed to the table, using it to steady herself and stand. She began to limp her way to the door when it swung open.

"Thomas," She whispered, not quite believing her eyes.

He walked past her to the screaming man, and in one smooth maneuver jerked her knife from his foot imbedding it up into his head through his jaw. The screeching ceased as Thomas pushed the blade up further into his brain for good measure, letting the twitching body fall over.

"I knew I shouldn't have left them with you."


	5. First Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The betrayal comes to fruition, and Levi reminisces the first time he met Petra.

Arc One: Flight for Freedom

Chapter Title: First Dance

A/N: This is the final chapter of Arc one so after this I will be taking a break from this story. I already have most of Arc Two written there are just a lot of things I'd like to iron out first. Be on the lookout for some new stories I'll be posting in the near future. Enjoy!

"Thomas." Petra repeated, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Petra." He turned to face her, "I could ask you the same."

An awful, horrid suspicion came over her; she shook her head dazedly. Thomas was her childhood friend, someone she trusted and loved like family. Someone who'd openly admitted his own devotion and love for her.

_I knew I shouldn't have left them with you…_

"I can see you're in shock, why don't you have a seat?" He was so calm, and calculating. He'd just murdered an unarmed person and he was asking her to sit down in a room of death, as if she'd come over for tea and cookies.

"Why are you doing this?"

He stepped over the body bleeding out on the floor, coming face-to-face with her. She flinched when he cupped her face, leaning in as if to kiss her and stopping just short of their lips meeting. "Because I hate you."

Petra's eyes grew wide as she stared into Thomas' brown lifeless orbs. "You love me."

His laugh was brittle and coarse, sending chills down her spine. "Why would I love someone that has destroyed my life?"

"What?" He slapped her, knocking her to the floor. She twisted around hearing the crack of her ribs, landing facedown. "Don't act innocent!"

Thomas loomed over her, trembling from barely controlled rage. "Don't act as if you don't know," He accused, flipping her over, gripping her torn shirt and lifting her up to slam against the wall. "You took my love, and my devotion and you threw it away like trash! My father killed himself because of you! My family is destitute because of you! I had to leave the military because of you!" He shook her hard, tears streaming down his face. "You've destroyed me." He whispered, pressing his face to her bosom and sobbing.

Petra had no words that would adequately express the confusion, hurt, and guilt churning her insides.

"Why wouldn't you leave with me? Why didn't you want me? I gave you everything."

He'd never moved on, she realized, he'd always been waiting for her to take him up on his invitation to leave, and she'd ignored him every step of the way. Every time she'd asked for a favor, teased him, told him she loved him, she'd chipped away a little more of his heart, taken a little more of him, until she'd driven him to unspeakable actions.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, hesitantly wrapping her arms around him as he sobbed harder.

A shadow caught her eye and she looked over in time to see Reiner, blade in hand, step through the door. Thomas was suddenly pulled off of her, Reiner grabbing him by the hair and placing his steel blade against Thomas' exposed throat. Thomas' bloodshot eyes never left her, love and hate like water and oil swirling within them.

"Reiner! Stop!" Her voice was urgent enough it stayed Reiner's hand. She reached out silently begging him to not move the sword. "If you care about me at all you will not kill this man."

Reiner held her pleading gaze, a battle raging within him. "But Captain Levi said to not leave any alive."

"Captain Levi wouldn't want you to kill an unarmed man," She reasoned, though inwardly she had no idea if this was true. "He's broken, just let him go, please Reiner, I'm begging you."

He seemed to consider her words, and after several tense minutes he raised his blade using the handle to hit Thomas in the back of his head. He crumpled like a rag doll, falling into a heap on the floor.

Petra breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

"No problem little miss, but you owe me one, Levi is going to have my head for this."

"Let's not worry about Levi, I just want to go home."

Petra didn't want to be carried but Reiner said for time's sake he should until they got to the horses.

The next room was a complete slaughterhouse; Petra hitched her breath when she saw the carnage. There were so many dismembered limbs she couldn't count how many people had died, the walls were awash in blood, and the smell made her want to gag. She hadn't heard their screaming, but that could have been because she was listening to the massacre taking place in the other room. Still whoever had done this had killed them efficiently and silently.

She looked up alarmed. "Did you do this?"

Reiner's grim face was littered with specks of crimson, his eyes steeled to look straight ahead. "I had to. They were going to ransom you, then murder you."

He had done this for her; the blood on his hands was because of her. These men had lost their lives just for the chance at a few coins, desperate to improve their situations. She wanted to mourn for them, for their families, but the drain of everything that had happened was just too much. She wanted nothing more than to pass out and not wake up for a very long time.

While Reiner tied the horses together Petra leaned against a tree feeling every ache in her body, the adrenaline was depleted, there was nothing to hold back the tsunami of agony raking through her. Her head throbbed, she could feel her face swelling, and it was tender to touch. A cold sweat coated her skin head to toe, and she felt she would be sick at any second. Reiner gave her his scout cloak since her shirt was torn beyond repair, watching her concernedly as she wrapped it around herself.

"I'll be fine," She reassured him, not feeling at all fine, but not wanting him to worry over her anymore.

He rode in the back of the saddle, holding Petra upright for the ride. She quickly fell asleep watching the stars twinkle in and out of the dark sky. Several times she woke up to find they had switched horses, and fell back into an uncomfortable sleep. Light had begun to creep across the horizon when they made it back to headquarters. Survey soldiers were up and about, feeding the horses, cleaning stalls, and preparing breakfast.

She pulled her hood over her battered face as they rode past, with six horses in tow. Two recruits came up to them and Reiner handed over all of the horses. He picked her up, gently cradling her as she buried her face in his chest, not wanting anyone to see her as she was.

Reiner's face burned as everyone stared when he made his way through the courtyard. He intended to take her straight to the Senior Medical Officer's room, but Petra insisted he take her to her own room. She had no desire to sit in the infirmary for hours waiting to be poked and prodded, she wanted to sleep in her bed and not be bothered.

Back in her own room Reiner placed her carefully on the bed, covering her with the blanket. Never had a bed felt so welcoming and warm, she didn't even mind she was covered in dirt and blood. It took a minute for her to realize Reiner was anxiously waiting by the bedside.

"I'll be fine, I just need rest."

"Do you need anything, water or something?"

I need a new body she thought wistfully. "Water would be good."

He left quickly and was back with a glass of water before she'd shut her eyes. He helped her sit up, resting against the headboard. Part of her wanted to cry, another to sleep, and a nagging part had so many questions she was forgetting them even as she thought of them. "Reiner, how did this happen? Why did you kidnap me?"

He looked guiltily at the floor, rubbing his hands on his face before staring her in the eyes. "It wasn't supposed to happen like that, but things got complicated. I was supposed to be with you the whole time, but Thomas got suspicious so he sent me to go hunting and you ended up alone with those creeps."

Petra waved her hand to stop him, "That's not what I meant, how did you get involved with this?"

"Thomas approached me. He asked me how I knew you and asked if I wanted to make some money. I said yes, but only because I wanted to know what he was going to do with you. He told me you were the missing princess." He looked questioningly at her, "Are you?"

"It's a long story." She trailed off not willing to drag out her past at the moment.

He shrugged letting it go, "I went to Captain Levi and he told me to go through with the plan to take you, but not to let you out of my sight." There was such self-condemnation in his golden eyes it made her heart ache. "I failed you."

Petra shook her head, tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision. She covered her face to hide her shame and grief, "You didn't fail, this is my fault all of it, I'm so sorry you got involved." She didn't know if this was a reasonable reaction, but she was tired, emotionally-drained, and hurting. Everything seemed so bleak all at once, she felt as if she were suffocating. "You killed all those people because of me."

The pressure to start sobbing uncontrollably built inside her, she wished Reiner would leave so he wouldn't see her breakdown completely. Instead she felt his arms encircle her gingerly as though he expected her to shatter, she leaned against him crying freely into his shirt.

Eventually she calmed, and peacefulness covered her like a warm blanket. Her wish to sleep for a long time came true.

_Petra walked slowly down the deserted hallway, wondering how long it would be before her mother found her skipping class yet again. She hoped it would take her awhile; she really didn't want to sit and listen to Mr. Wagner talk for all that time. Sometimes she thought an eternity had passed when class ended, and the whole time she watched out the window wanting to play, and dance, and sing._

_She wished Thomas was there to play games with, he was the only kid that didn't snub her desire to play tag or catch-the- titan. She was just thinking how she'd never been to this part of the castle when a man, a tall man, appeared suddenly. He wore a bowler hat, a long-coat, and carried a cane with a pointed end. His hair was dark, and his beard scraggly and thin._

_A creepy feeling swept over Petra, even at her small age she could sense something was off with this man. She stood stone still as the tall man approached her, kneeling in front of her and taking off his bowler hat. "Good evening Princess."_

" _Hi." The word reflexively slipped from her lips. "Who are you?"_

_His eyes pierced right through her, "A friend of your mothers." A row of straight white teeth flashed and she gulped in response. "You've grown to become very beautiful, Petra." His long fingers ran through a strand of her curled auburn hair._

" _Petra!" Her mother's voice called her, echoing down the corridor._

_The tall man grabbed her small shoulders drawing her near, kissing the top of her head and letting her go. "Go see your mother, you've worried her."_

_Petra turned to see her mother rounding a corner, her purple robes flowing behind her. "Mamma!"_

_Her mother ran up to her, embracing her tightly. She pulled back at arm's length, fear blemishing her otherwise perfect face. "How many times have I told you not to wander alone? What are you doing here?"_

" _I was talking to the tall man, he said he's your friend."_

_Her mother's bright blue eyes darkened wrathfully, "Don't you ever talk to that man again, do you hear? Promise me, Petra, promise me you'll never talk to him again!" Petra had never seen her mother so terrified, so upset, she hugged her close squeezing with all her small might._

" _I promise mamma, I promise."_

A shadow darted across the courtyard of the Survey Corps headquarters, so quick only a trained eye could have picked it out from the darkness. The shadow slipped quietly through an open door, creeping along the wall once inside. The shadow avoided moonlit windows and doors with light in the cracks, several times the shadow slinked past patrols, which had little idea the threat was so close he could have slit their throats and everyone would be blissfully unaware until morning.

As it was there was only one person's flesh his blade would taste tonight.

The bedroom was dark, the window open to let in moonlight and fresh air. A table was set with purple flowers basking in the moon's radiance, their intoxicating scent wafted throughout the room. The bed was in the furthest corner, a sleeping body beneath the covers, hidden in the dusk. The shadow came out of hiding, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed.

He wanted to see her face one last time, wanted her to see his face one final time. He wanted her to know it would be him ending her life that night. She'd always been the object of his hate, of his love, of his obsession. Everything bad, everything good, he blamed her for it all. From the moment he'd laid eyes on her, he'd known she was the only one he could ever have feelings for. The day she'd rejected his offer to go away with him had been the day he'd died, now he was nothing more than an animated corpse, feeling only hate and love for this beautiful creature who'd so unwittingly spellbound and broken him.

His fingers traced the outline of her body, imagining what her skin would feel like in the heat of passion. "All I ever wanted was you," He whispered sweetly, leaning down to inhale her scent. "I'll end it quickly." He promised pulling back the covers from her face, only to reveal a bewildering sight.

Pillows.

He stood up, jerking the blanket away. Pillows lined the bed, such a simple ploy yet it had worked on him easily. He'd been so consumed with his own desires he'd fallen into a trap.

Thomas felt his hair pulled back by a strong grip, the edge of a blade pressed to his throat. "Quite a generous offer, but one I'm afraid I won't be extending to you."

Thomas recognized the deadpan voice instantly, "Levi."

His hair was pulled so hard he thought it would come out by the roots, "Captain to you." The knife was pressed closer, drawing a thin line of blood. "Tell me," The line became thicker, oozing red. "Who sent you to take Petra? I know your primitive brain could never inspire such genius." The pressure intensified until just the point of slicing through the carotid artery. "Don't waste my time lying; I'm a very busy man."

Thomas chuckled at the very thought of giving up his frightening employer, "You should just kill me now, I'll never tell."

Thomas crumpled to the floor, pain erupting from a kick to the kidney. Blood poured from his broken nose from a kick to the face flipping him over onto his stomach. A boot repeatedly stomped on his back, his ribs cracking under the strain. Another kick to the face cut his forehead open, and another, and another until his whole world turned black.

"You will find I am very persuasive."

An awful grunting and moaning woke Thomas; he could barely open his swollen eyes to see large blurred figures dancing below him. He shook his head feeling as though he'd been hit with a sledge hammer, his vision clearing enough to make out gigantic hands grabbing desperately for him. His boots were missing and his legs dangled just out of reach.

He screamed suddenly aware of his predicament.

"So you're awake, I've been waiting for over an hour. I was just about to let you down." Thomas looked up to see Levi standing on the wall's edge watching him, a look of utter detachment on his face. In his hand he held the 3D maneuvering device Thomas was attached to, the cable tied around his waist as he dangled inches from the titan's groping fingers.

"Wh-what are you doing you fucking psycho?" Thomas reached up along the wall his hands reaching frantically for a crevice to catch onto. "Let me up! My God let me up!"

Levi pressed the handle of the device, pulling Thomas slowly up about halfway between him and the ever ravenous titans. Just then one of the more enthusiastic titans lunged, its teeth snapping at Thomas' bare vulnerable feet. He screamed, squirming and twisting like a worm held above the lake of hungry fish.

"I wouldn't move too much, I don't know how stable this is."

Thomas stilled instantly, watching the hungry faces below him as they clawed at the wall. "That's better. Now we are going to play a game, for every correct answer you give me I will pull you up a little more, got it?"

He looked up his eyes filled with tears, and nodded. "Who are you working for?"

Thomas shook his head; even in the face of a slow agonizing death he found he feared his employer more. "I can't," He choked out.

Levi released the cable and Thomas screamed, now closer than before to those gaping maws and eager hands. "Stop!" His voice reached a pitch that Levi had not thought possible for a grown man. "He never told me a name! I swear! He was freakishly tall, and wore a stupid hat! I never saw his face, I swear, please get me out of here." He sobbed, screeching when the tip of a titan's finger brushed the bottom of his shoeless feet.

Again Levi pulled him up, just arm's length away from the edge. "What else are you not telling me?" There was a fire in the Captain's eyes that reflected his own death if he did not tell the truth.

"He wanted her alive, he didn't want us to hurt her. I wasn't really going to kill her see?" Thomas reached up, his fingers bleeding as he clawed at the wall. "Have mercy, I'm begging you."

Even for Levi watching a man dangling above his death, begging for his very life, was not an enjoyable sight. But his hate for traitors was more than his hate for titans, and pictures of Petra, lying comatose, battered and pulverized, flashed through his mind. There was something all around repulsive to him about Thomas, a man who'd let his love of an unobtainable girl consume and destroy him until there was nothing left but an insane abomination inflicted upon humanity.

"Would you like me to show you the same mercy you showed the woman you supposedly love?"

Thomas' eyes grew so wide Levi thought they just might pop out of their sockets. "I love her! She's the one that hurt me! She's the one that should be in my place!"

"Wrong answer."

Thomas let out a shrill scream as Levi released the cable, letting him drop into the hands of a fifteen meter titan. He shrieked and squirmed as the titan opened his mouth lined with jagged canines, his tongue slipping out first as if to sample the human, then swallowing him whole in one gulp.

A few weeks later Levi sat in a chair by Petra's bed in the infirmary his thoughts wondering to everything that had happened since he'd fed Thomas to the titans. The Stohess district had been obliterated by the female titan, and now the titan's host was in a crystallized pod in the dungeons of their headquarters. Commander Erwin and the Survey Corps were under intense scrutiny by the King and the Military Police. Levi's special operations squad had been annihilated by the female titan, including Petra's teacher Chichi. And now there was suspicion in the ranks on possible rogue titans working against humanity, this encompassing some of the newest recruits of the Survey Corps.

Petra included.

She'd been in a coma for three weeks, and Mrs. Smith did not know if she'd ever wake up. The Senior Medical Officer had been furious with Reiner for letting her go to sleep after receiving a high grade concussion. However her body was resting and slowly repairing itself, the swelling in her face had gone down, and the bruising had lightened. The broken bones were mending; the worst of it in the midsection was showing signs of healing.

Still if she never woke up it would be all for naught.

Whenever he had spare time Levi visited her, checking on her progress, watching her peacefully sleeping face, still remarkable despite the bruising. It hadn't been possible for him to save her from the kidnappers, it had been his mission to protect Eren and capture the female titan, but if it had been feasible he would have slaughtered the traitors himself instead of sending Reiner.

Catching Thomas in his pathetic assassination attempt had just been a distraction, something to cur his anger. He'd been an animal that needed to be put down, but now there was an even bigger threat looming. One that made him uneasy, one he suspected, a different, more dangerous sort of animal that would be difficult to be rid of.

A speck of dirt on Petra's face caught his eye; he grabbed a wet rag from the basin of water next to her bed wiping the blemish away. He dragged the cloth across her cheek, over her eyes, leaning in to reach behind the ears. From this distance he could appreciate the healed porcelain skin of her face, her sweet scent like warm honey, her lips almost restored except for an ugly cut that might even scar.

Being this close he was reminded of the first time they had met, when they'd danced at the ball of her birthday. He'd gone only because Commander Erwin had asked him to join him and his wife. For most of the ball he'd stood in a corner by himself, ignored by the pretty girls who danced with the handsome men of status in their social circles. He had planned on spending the party alone, with his less-than-average height and perpetual scowl he wasn't exactly a ladies' man.

He had been surprised by a copper-haired beauty, with a crown of gold upon her head, shyly approach him.

" _Why are you all alone?" She asked, her silk gloved hands clasped in front of her._

_Levi shrugged, his glibness all but depleted in the face of a beautiful girl speaking to him. Barely fifteen he'd never been approached by a girl that left him feeling abashed and out-of-control. "Do you want to dance with me? I don't really get along with the others. I'm guessing you don't either."_

_Her lonely smile spoke volumes to him; not saying a word he grabbed her elbow leading her to the dance floor, her white gown trailing behind her. He could see she was pleasantly surprised by his boldness. She held up her gloved hand, wincing when he grabbed her fingers, "Gently," She whispered just loud enough for him to hear. He nodded and simply placed his hand in hers, barely touching._

_Despite being of low social status Levi was an exceptional dancer, and the princess knew all the ballroom dances better than herself. They waltzed for several minutes before she spoke, "What's your name?"_

" _Levi," He answered staring into her melancholy amber eyes._

" _You're a good dancer, Levi." He felt his face redden slightly at the compliment._

" _So are you."_

" _Are you in the Survey Corps?" He was startled to see the admiration glowing in her eyes, "I saw you with Commander Erwin."_

_The music changed to a slower pace, and she wrapped her arms around his neck resting her head against his chest. He inhaled her hair, sweet and lovely. Surprised by the sudden intimacy he could only manage to nod, holding carefully onto her waist. They moved in a small circle, avoiding other couples also dancing._

" _Someday I'll join the Survey Corps." She said so quietly he barely heard her over the music, "Someday I'll help humanity regain its freedom."_

Levi had never forgotten the night a princess, someone a galaxy away from his social status, had been kind to him. Now she lay in a coma, her future hanging in the balance, her dreams slowly slipping away right before his eyes.

The pendent around her neck shined brightly even in the dim lighting, like a beacon of hope.

"Never stop fighting." He whispered, leaning further in to place a tender kiss upon her parted lips.

At that moment her eyes, one gold and the other greyed, fluttered open.


End file.
